The Frontrunner

McCain wins the Most Important State Ever. A humiliated (and relieved?) Rudy Giuliani, rumored to be stepping down and endorsing McCain tomorrow, is now quoting Teddy Roosevelt, and congratulating his competitors. Including Ron Paul: "He won the debates!"

The one thing we've learned tonight: There will never, ever, never, never, ever be another "late state strategy" in presidential politics again. At least until 2112.

UPDATE: Rudy's loser speech -- filled with "self-government," school choice, broadsides against "the central government" -- is better than anything I've heard from him all season. As was Fred Thompson's. Maybe when the rest of them lose they'll suddenly sound half-good, too? Certainly the still-ticking Romney sounds both horrid -- "before they have babies they should get married"?? -- and kind of teary-eyed.

Anyway, while the corpse is still warm, enjoy one last time David Weigel's profile of Giuliani in our December issue.